I will be going on vacation soon. Last year, I was determined to avoid politics, political news, and political discussion, but I failed. My son was disappointed with me in that regard. Hell, I was disappointed in myself.
So this year, I am more determined to keep my mind off of politics. It should be easier, because I will be visiting countries that do not speak English, and where Trump is definitely not the elected leader, admired, or even respected. That was not the case on the last few vacations, which were all in the United States, and where my son and I traversed red state regions. And yes, I heard plenty of political opinions and discussions, and often could not avoid the news. It probably did not help me to relax, like vacations should.
That is why I am determined not to engage in that this time around. So, that said, I am writing a few last political posts before going, to get it out of my system, before permitting myself the liberty of trying not to pay too much attention once vacation time begins. There will be plenty of opportunity to catch up once I get back, anyway. The topic I wanted to discuss in this particular blog entry actually had to do with Ken Burns, the distinguished film maker of various chapters of American history. I just recently finished watching his 10-part, 18 hour documentary film on the Vietnam War, and it really was amazing! There were things that had always looked or felt blurry to me about our gradually escalating war in Vietnam, and really, I felt that I understood a lot better after having watched the documentary, which comes strongly recommended!
In any case, Burns is a man who is intelligent and thoughtful. So, when he says something, we probably should pay attention.
And yes, he had something to say about Trump. This was a few years ago, granted, but it was provocative. He asked Christian evangelicals who support Trump how they could possibly reconcile their declared Christian faith with the decidedly unchristian behavior and language of Trump, particularly with his lusting after women (including his uncomfortable, frankly cringe-worthy seeming crush on his own daughter), as well as his polarizing behavior towards what Burns described as making “the ‘other’ the enemy.”
Here, specifically, are his words:
"The Republican Party has been extraordinarily successful at getting many groups of people to vote against their self-interest. Evangelicals are voting for Donald Trump. What part of Donald Trump reminds you of Jesus Christ? Trump lusts after his own daughter on national radio, talks about women's bodies and breasts in such a disparaging way, and mocks them. How is this in any way Christian? When you make the "other" the enemy, how is that Christian?"
It is a good question, and deserves to be answered, even though it likely will not. In fact, it is the same kind of question that I have, because it is very difficult for me to understand how anyone with an ounce of either intelligence or integrity could possibly support such a man. Yet, millions who should know better nevertheless do support Trump.
Burns also criticized Trump for inciting racial tensions with his words:
"Of course it was [racially motivated]. I found no outrage at the "preppie killer." The problem was that the initial idea of the crime was that there were these "wilding" black youths—a wolf pack—that attacked this innocent blond woman, and that's always been the primal fear of Americans as they tolerated slavery and then tolerated Jim Crow. You had newspapers in a progressive northern city sounding like a southern racist newspaper from the 1880s gleefully reporting on a lynching."
In any case, here is the link to the article:
Ken Burns to Evangelical Voters: 'What Part of Donald Trump Reminds You of Jesus Christ?' "He lusts after his own daughter on national radio." By Jack Holmes, July 5, 2016:
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